Johjima eager to start Mariners career

Catching on to English is main concern

Published 10:00 pm, Sunday, January 22, 2006

TOKYO -- Kenji Johjima, who has played his entire baseball career in Japan, left Tokyo's Narita Airport on Saturday en route to the next stage of his career.

The top catcher of his generation in Japan, Johjima is heading to Seattle, where he will be introduced to the Northwest's media for the first time.

He will be in Seattle for the better part of a week before heading to Peoria, Ariz., about Feb. 1 to get a jump on the Feb. 15 start of spring training.

Johjima's first trip to Seattle after agreeing to a two-year contract with an option for a third year was delayed for more than eight hours by heavy snow in the Tokyo area. Narita Airport, about 60 miles from central Tokyo, was particularly hard hit by the snow.

Before meeting with the media Tuesday, Johjima will have more extensive meetings with the Seattle front office. And before and after the news conference, he is expected to work out at Safeco Field, his new baseball home.

Based on his comments as he left Tokyo, the 11-year veteran of Japanese professional baseball seems ready for whatever the future brings.

"Finally this day has come," Johjima told Kyodo News Service and other Japanese media outlets at a news conference before leaving for the long flight across the Pacific Ocean.

"I look forward to seeing how I improve as a baseball player through overcoming various barriers."

One of the most compelling stories of spring training, and one that may last all season, is how well Johjima can handle the Mariners pitching staff while trying to learn English.

He's been working with tutors, and will have a translator with him all season. But the translator won't be on the field with him, so Johjima will have to learn as he goes. He's been taking intensive English language study in order to make the process as smooth as possible.

He seems to have less concern for the physical demands of moving to a 162-game season and playing with the best players in the world.

"I'm in shape; I've trained quickly and smoothly," Johjima said before boarding his airplane. "I also spoke with Shigetoshi Hasegawa to confirm what I have learned about the Mariners pitching staff from videos."

Hasegawa, who has pitched in the major leagues for the better part of a decade and who spent the past four seasons with the Mariners, is between jobs for the moment. But he apparently was an invaluable resource for Johjima.

And when Johjima reports to Peoria, he will augment that information with a nice sense of humor combined with the information he's gathered.